Slow Lovers
by Lanturn
Summary: Everyone's relationships seems to be hopeless. Tea and Seto never get any time alone, so Tea gave up on him. Joey and Mai argues too much to stay together for long. Yugi loves Serenity, but she doesn't feel the same way. The title basically says it all.
1. The mysterious girl

Disclaimer: If I owned Yu Gi Oh, I would be sitting on a plane traveling the world, instead of typing endlessly on my computer, stuck at home. However, I do own the original characters.  
  
"......." Quotes  
  
'.......' Thoughts  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~ Change of scene  
  
Chapter 1: The mysterious girl  
  
Joey Wheeler lied on his couch slurping loudly on his 100% Juicy Juice sulking to himself.  
  
True. He just lost a duel to that jerk Kaiba yesterday and that rich brat called him a dog for who knows how long?  
  
True. Even though Yugi's only half his height, he never won a single game against him.  
  
Joey isn't upset about them. He got used to it by now. It's so customary that it's like having pizza at least once a day. Sometimes he gets more, sometimes only a slice, but it's always gonna happen once every twenty-four hours, so that's no big deal.  
  
But, just today, he lost a duel to Mai. YES, MAI! His crush ever since the beginning of time! She must think he's a dork now after easily wiping out all his strongest attackers in less than five minutes.  
  
"Ah, what's the point? I saved my sister Serenity's eyesight, and that is the only reason I duel. I should just quit since I don't really have the talents." Was what he'd always say to himself, but dueling is somehow the only way he could ever get near Mai, so he continued even after all those embarrassing moments.  
  
The phone rang.  
  
"Wassup Yuge?" He moaned dully.  
  
"Hi Joey, it's your little sister, Serenity. I'm calling to let you know I'm going to be moving in with you for a couple of months. Our parents agreed that we should see each other again. After all, we are brother and sister, aren't we?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Good news sure spreads fast, the next day everyone was informed, and everyone went to the airport to see Serenity.  
  
"Hi Joey." Serenity leaped up and gave Joey a great big hug.  
  
"HI SETO!" Some unknown female redhead stranger came up, and cuddled in the emotionless kid's chest until Tristan, Bakura, Yugi, Mai, and Tea pulled the girl off. Tea is now starting to glare at her.  
  
"Uhh, have we met, little girl?" Seto tried not to sound as mean and rude as usual. Notice the great word choice: 'as'  
  
Serenity chuckled. "Guys, this is my best friend Allison, she is a big fan of all of you, especially the Kaiba brothers, that I brought her along with me to see you. She's pretty good at duel monsters too"  
  
"HEY LITTLE MOKUBA!" She started squishing the little kid paying no attention to the others.  
  
"Eww, I hate girls, stop touching me!" Mokuba complained as Allison braided his hair in the middle of the airport.  
  
Of course Allison eventually stopped a few hours later. She had to. Every strand of Mokuba's hair was braided, and there had to be at least a thousand braids. Do the math on what's everyone's first impression of this hyper energetic weird girl.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The gang went to the game shop next. Except the brothers of course. They are getting pretty scared of Allison. Who wouldn't?  
  
"Where are you going to be sleeping?" Yugi asked her considering the facts that no one has a spare room or anything.  
  
"I could manage. I'm very rich." She winked at the gang as she left.  
  
"That kid is really getting on my nerves." Tea had steam coming out of her ears still remembering what Allison did to Kaiba, and how Yugi cared about her to notice she doesn't have a place to sleep. Before, she was deciding on which one to go after, but now all Tea wants is to keep one instead of Allison taking them BOTH.  
  
She took a quick glance at Yugi and Serenity laughing and talking. 'Great, just splendid, I shouldn't have been so greedy and picky. Now Seto has that energetic redhead, and Yugi has Serenity. Where does that leave me?'  
  
As Yugi was talking to Serenity, he could not stop thinking how beautiful she was. Before, everyone mocked him because of his height until Yami showed up, but Serenity was different. She didn't care how short he was. She was friendly to him. 'But, I guess we'll never be any more than friends.' He thought to himself.  
  
Serenity, on the other hand, paid absolutely no attention to Yugi. Talking to him was just a way to blend in, so she could spy on Joey and that stylish blonde Mai. She secretly gave Mai approval to be her sister in law, although she could take a few more years to decide. 'Joey is way to stupid to know how to propose. He probably doesn't even know what proposing means. Besides, Mai probably already have a boyfriend.'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
'Those idiots. They actually believe I'm rich. I don't even know how I'm going to afford my next meal.'  
  
Allison wandered off to KaibaCorp. Even though 'she' isn't that wealthy, she definitely knows someone who is.  
  
(I won't beg for Seto's money. My pride won't let me do that, but I need a place to stay.)  
  
She climbed the gates, hacked Seto's security systems like it was a child's toy. Finally, she entered a room with a nice comfy bed. Checking her watch, it was already midnight, so she just assumed no one sleeps here. Allison climbed up the bed, and fell deeply asleep before rethinking what the heck is she doing.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
3:00 in the morning  
  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY BED!?!?" Kaiba's shocked yet angry voice woke her up.  
  
She rubbed her eyes. "I 'was' sleeping until I had this terrible nightmare of no candy for a week, then this big hideous monster yelled WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY BED, I woke up and realized the monster was you. "  
  
"I'll ask you again, what are you doing in here?" Seto said 'here' meaning Kaiba Corp.  
  
"I told you, I was sleeping." Allison thought he was talking about the bed.  
  
Kaiba has never been in a situation like this. "I see we are going to have a hard time communicating, so just get out of Kaiba Corp before I ring the alarm."  
  
"Pathetic kid, you can't even get me out yourself. Plus, if you have trouble communicating with me, then you really need a psychiatrist." She muttered.  
  
"I have many psychiatrists already. Pegasus comes see me every Wednesday, and Bakura comes..... that's not the point!" Seto mentally cursed himself for sharing that detail.  
  
"Leave." He ordered.  
  
Allison laughed. "Fine with me, but you are gonna regret it. See ya Kaiba Boy." She jumped out the window safely landing back on the streets.  
  
'She's the one who needs a psychiatrist. What the hell is she doing sleeping in Kaiba Corp?'  
  
Seto lied on his warm bed. He reached into the covers, and felt something. He took it out and it turns out to be a letter. It must be Allison's, but he snoopily read it anyway. (That's what rich kids do, they love to invade privacy.)  
  
He jumped out of the bed realizing what he just done. Quickly, he also leaped out of the window chasing that redhead.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The next day:  
  
Yugi gave Serenity a tour around their school. Don't be naïve and think Joey's parents would allow her to sit at home reading fanfictions off the internet. Even Allison was enrolled in high school with the gang.  
  
"Umm, Serenity, I have something to ask you." Yugi was so nervous.  
  
She smiled at him brightly. "What?"  
  
"Well, you see, I was wondering, will you go out on a date with me?" He finally asked.  
  
He closely studied her eyes. They were blank. The way you'd look at a non-living thing, such as a table or something. "Sorry Yugi." She walked away.  
  
Yugi's heart shattered, but didn't want to reveal it to anybody. He called out Yami, taking his place as he left to suffer.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Three days later:  
  
"Where's Yugi?" Joey asked Serenity. He, Tristan, and Bakura looked through the entire city searching for him.  
  
"How should I know? What, is he missing?" Serenity joked.  
  
"Yeah." Said Tristan in a dead serious way.  
  
'It not because I refused to go out with him, is it?' Serenity's mind immediately thought back to when she said no to him.  
  
Bakura sighed. "If we all can't located him, I'll use my Millenium Ring to locate his Millenium Puzzle." He concentrated on his object as the third spike glowed pointing straight ahead.  
  
Bakura was stunned. "Yugi's in Egypt. From what my magic showed me, he left with a broken heart."  
  
"How the hell did he get a broken heart? Who shot him!?!"  
  
Tristan knocked some sense into Joey. "How stupid can stupid be? If someone shot his heart, he wouldn't even be alive right now."  
  
Serenity listened in horror. "What have I done?" She whispered to herself.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"What! You're all going to Egypt?" Mai shouted.  
  
"No, just my sister and me. I'm making Serenity apologize." Said Joey as he packed junk food into his luggage.  
  
"Joey, Yugi won't want to see Serenity. He left so he could be as far away from her as possible." Mai argued giving him her opinion.  
  
"What do you know?" Joey ignored her.  
  
"What do I know? I know what's best for everyone! I'm sure 'forcing' Serenity to apologize to Yugi is WRONG! Yugi will maybe come back if you, Tristan, and Tea went to get him, but seeing Serenity will only injure him MORE!"  
  
"Thanks, but this is between me, Serenity, and Yugi."  
  
Mai gave him a fake puzzling look. "Since when were you involved in this love triangle?"  
  
"She's my sister; he's my best friend. I wanted them to end up together for a long while. Even if they don't, they'll meet again sooner or later because of me in the middle. So they better be good friends!"  
  
"Good luck. You're going to need lots of it. But then again, that's the only thing you're famous for. Loads of pure luck." Mai patted his shoulder as she left.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
As Tea was walking home from school, her mind was thinking about Yugi. Serenity was so emotionless. Tea only wished it was her who Yugi asked out. Life is so unfair. Yugi known her since they were kids, and he and Serenity only met like four days ago. But she stole away his heart immediately, and even though he is thousands of miles away, his heart remained in her clutches.  
  
Splash.  
  
When Tea is walking/daydreaming near a mud puddle, a black limousine that drove by splashed her uniform in a nasty brown color.  
  
She heard laughing coming from the car. Talk about emotionless, the one and only Seto Kaiba was driving the car, seriously looking ahead on the road.  
  
The girl sitting next to her was where the laughing came from.  
  
Is that Allison?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Lanturn: Well, I hoped you all enjoyed my first chapter. This is going to end up a Yugi/Serenity, Joey/Mai, Seto/Tea fic. I'm not sure if I should make Allison the villain. Allison, if you're reading this, please don't kill me, I appreciate life very much. 


	2. We all got issues

Chapter 2: We all got issues  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Mai choked. 'I'm going to kill that Joey!' She thought to herself as she silently followed Joey and Serenity through a sandstorm in the middle of nowhere.  
  
'He's so pathetic' Mai knew Joey would run in trouble. Joey doesn't even know how to 'READ' a map. How is he supposed to reach Yugi? Mai pitied him, but cannot stop admiring his loyalty to friend.  
  
So here she is, as elegant as ever, lost walking in circles in the dry, hot, and sandy desert, when she could've simply relaxed at home in her gigantic cool swimming pool actually 'enjoying' life. Now she pitied herself. Why in the world did she follow them in the first place?  
  
The storm brewed as the sand got in her eyes, and she tripped over her extremely high heels falling on a cactus in the way. Her hands are probably filled with pricks and she's starting to bleed, but the poor girl couldn't do anything when she's blind surrounded with nothing but sand.  
  
"HELP!!!!!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Hey Joey, did you hear a scream behind us?" Serenity covered her mouth to avoid the sand.  
  
Joey nodded. "It was crying for help." 'And the voice sounds a lot like Mai.'  
  
He went back to help whoever it was who yelled for him.  
  
There he saw a poor defenseless figure lying on her stomach. "Mai?!?" Joey gasped recognizing the person. Joey kneeled in front of her as she tried to get up. He gently pulled her over, and stood up with her in his arms.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The first thing Mai saw after awakening was two worried chocolate brown eyes staring down at her. "Your okay." She heard a voice say.  
  
"Where are we?" She asked wondering how she got out of the sandstorm.  
  
Mai heard Serenity giggle behind Joey. "It was a good thing you followed us. Joey was so caught up worrying about you, that I snatched his precious map away, and led us into safety."  
  
Joey's eyes popped out as smoke was coming out of his ears. "GOOD THING?!? Mai could've died!" He turned to Mai. "What are you doing here? Who gave you permission to just tag along!?"  
  
Mai was shocked at his angry tone ignoring the hint Joey's angriness meant he cared for her. She admit it was kind of rude to spy and follow Joey all the way to another country, but all she wanted to do was make sure he's going to be safe. 'But it just ended up with him saving me.'  
  
Even though she knew she was the wrong one, a person like Mai would never apologize. "Oh, I need permission? From who? From YOU! Please, who are you? My boyfriend? HAHAHAHAHA I only followed you to see Yugi. He's MY friend too, ya know!"  
  
Joey boiled inside. He knew he's not Mai's boyfriend, and probably in her classily rich heart, he's not even worthy of a friend, but what really got to him is when Mai shouted out "Yugi is MY friend." To him, that sounded a lot like "I like Yugi, ya dimwit. Grow some brains and pick up the clues! I came all the way to Egypt just to see him."  
  
Joey is outraged. "Who needs you! You couldn't even cross that storm without a dimwit's help!" After his idiotic speech, he seized Serenity's wrist and dragged her away from Mai.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Egyptian Palace:  
  
Here is our cute little Yami, pharaoh of Egypt, confused as ever. About a week ago, Yugi told him to return to Egypt, and live as royalty once again. Well.... why? Does Yugi want him to rule the country once again? But, all Yami does is play duel monsters. Since there is no more Egyptian Kings alive to duel for power, why should Yami even be here?  
  
"Talk to me Yugi." The all so powerful Yugioh pleaded wanting so badly for his other half to respond. Why is he so afraid to come out?  
  
BAM BAM BAM! "Hey Yuge, let us in." It's Joey's voice called from outside. He's come to get Yugi!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I see, so that's why Yugi ran away. " Yami finally understood after the brief explanation.  
  
"Yeah, sorry Serenity caused so much trouble for Yuge." Joey apologized.  
  
Yami was stunned. "So you're Serenity! For the past few days that name always for some reason flash across my mind. Yugi must've been thinking a lot about you that even I was affected. Sometimes I even wake up in the middle of the calling out your name........"  
  
Before Yami finished his long list to embarrass Yugi, a blazing light emerged from inside of him, and after the light faded, Yugi was in his place blushing madly.  
  
"Hehehe." He laughed uncomfortably. "Joey, Serenity, long time no see?"  
  
"Yuge, are you okay man?"  
  
"I'm doing much better now." He lied.  
  
Joey glanced over at his sister, signaling for her to apologize.  
  
Serenity glared at Joey, who gave her too much pressure. "Yugi, can I have a word with you ALONE?"  
  
Yugi nodded following her to the balcony. He's prepared to heartbroken again. This time he'll really hide his emotions... forever.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry Yugi. I didn't know that date was so important to you. I guess I hurt you pretty badly.... but don't worry, if you seriously want to, I'll date you."  
  
Yugi laughed. "What kind of moron do you think I am? Don't worry, I'll tell Joey to get out of your business. From now on, I'll only see you as a friend."  
  
"Are you okay though?" Serenity was half relieved she didn't have to go out with Yugi, but the other half felt so terrible. She had no right to break his heart.  
  
Yugi noticed how sincerely sorry Serenity is. He smiled. "I'm fine now. It's just when you said you didn't like me, it felt like losing a battle. I'm not really good at dealing with losing and is not used to it, because in dueling games, I'll always win at the end. I guess love works differently than dueling games."  
  
"Will you come back to Japan with Joey and me?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"What cha doin?" Allison looked over Kaiba's shoulder while he's trying to play a computer game.  
  
"How annoying can a person get?" Kaiba muttered to himself trying to concentrate.  
  
"Much more annoying than what I am. And stop staring at that screen. It's bad for the eyesight. Your image will be completely blemished if you wore glasses."  
  
"Who cares?" But Kaiba already shut the computer off fearing of losing his eyes. He doesn't want to look like that bug, Weevil. "I'll take a walk outside."  
  
"I'll go with you!" Allison chirped happily.  
  
"Watch over Mokuba." Seto couldn't be more relieved to get rid of her as he sprinted away.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Running footsteps trailed after him.  
  
'Oh no. Allison followed me!' Seto didn't bother to turn back. He just ran as far as his long legs could go headed towards a park.  
  
"Kaiba! Wait up!" The feminine voice called out behind him.  
  
'Yeah right. I just spend a whole week with you as my shadow, can't you just bug off?' Seto kept on running like they were playing a game of tag.  
  
"What made you so angry at me, that you can't even stop and talk for a second?" The person behind him is still chasing.  
  
"I'm trying to get rid of you, you stick-to-me-like-glue runt!"  
  
"Fine Fine Fine! I just saw you running down the streets, and came to tell you Yugi's coming back!" The voice panted, slowing down.  
  
Huh? How did Allison know Yugi's coming back while he had no clue? Seto finally turned around his head, and saw it was Tea running after him.  
  
BANG!  
  
He crashed into a tree, and disturbed a hive of bees. Let's just skip the details after that.  
  
The two brown-haired blue-eyed people sat down on a bench.  
  
Tea was the one who broke the awkward silence. "How are you these days Kaiba? Under some unusual stress? You look kind of painful."  
  
"It's nothing." It's hard to explain, but underneath Kaiba's icy cold expression on his face, he felt a burning passion in his heart. (A/N: He reminds me of the Grinch with a smaller heart than any other living thing. Don't burn too hard Kaiba, or you won't have ANY heart left. )  
  
"What about you, Tea?" Seto asked.  
  
"What about me?"  
  
"Well, don't you like Yugi too?" That was the most considerate thing Kaiba ever said.  
  
Tea's eyes widened. "Was it that obvious?"  
  
"Yes, it was." Seto replied. But truthfully, it was just a lucky guess.  
  
Crazy thoughts raced in Tea's head. 'Oh my god, he knew I liked Yugi all along. Then, he might know that I like him too. Is that why he was running away from me? He called me "runt". Oh no, I'm doomed!'  
  
Seto on the other hand is also trapped in his various thoughts. 'What! She likes Yugi! Damn.' (A/N: You get the point.....)  
  
"SETO! I looked EVERYWHERE for you!" Allison popped out of nowhere as Kaiba vowed he'd kill her for intruding his peace.  
  
Allison glanced at Tea and gasped. "Poor Seto, did this awful girl rape you? That's it! From now on, you will not go anywhere out of my sight!"  
  
Tea and Seto blushed as red as a tomato, both don't know how to respond.  
  
"It's getting quite late. I have to go to... wherever I had to go. See you." Tea dashed away leaving Kaiba alone with the hyperactive Allison.  
  
Seto gave Allison a look that could kill. "That. Was. Cruel."  
  
"What was?" The redhead always found the best times to play dumb.  
  
"You scared her off!" After he finally had some time alone with her.  
  
"Now now Seto, she was only after your money." She sounded like a mother deciding her son's marriage for him.  
  
"Who died and made you boss?"  
  
"Our parents. When mom and dad died, their wish was for us to take care of each other. Now that I've finally found you big brother, I have to be overprotective and make sure you date someone who loves you."  
  
Seto sighed remembering the letter he read a week ago revealing Allison's true identity. His biological parents died leaving him, his sister, and Mokuba at an orphanage, but Allison somehow escaped and ran away, and they never saw her since. Kaiba even forgot all about her until Allison's letter refreshed his memory.  
  
An evil grin curled up Allison's lips. "So, big brother, you like Tea don't you?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
Lanturn: Cliffy! I just love them, don't you? It creates a lot of suspense for me, and torture for the readers. But, at least you don't have to continue hating Allison. I wasn't that cruel to make my original character a villain. 


	3. Realization

Chapter 3: Realization  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
That night, Tea thought a lot about Kaiba and Allison. She was questioning herself so much; her head was about to explode!  
  
How come an ever-emotionless proud Kaiba would even pay a stranger like Allison any attention?  
  
Are they like secret admirers?  
  
Where DOES Allison sleep?  
  
What is Allison's last name? She never told them. Oh well, that isn't important.  
  
Why does Tea keep on thinking about Kaiba and his problems. She shouldn't care that much, after all he did do a lot of unforgivable things during the past.  
  
He ripped Solomon's Blue Eyes just so no one could use it against him.  
  
He used Yugi's kindness, and snatched away a victory Yugi could've won.  
  
He never thanks anyone after they save their life, and keeps on being cold.  
  
He frowns and glares too much, like everyone owes him something. (But that expression is what makes him so damn cute!)  
  
Tea smiled to herself thinking of all the Seto flashbacks, but suddenly she just came to a realization.  
  
"I'm falling in love with Seto Kaiba!" She said out loud just for herself to hear. "What I'm I going to do? What am I going to do? WHAT AM I GOING TO DO???!!!!! Kaiba won't love me back. He's a jerk who doesn't know the definition of love or friendship. All he cares about is his precious duel monsters, Mokuba and his virtual computer games; how am I going to enter his heart, and have him love me back?"  
  
Yet, even though Kaiba is like everything she just said, he was the only one who could make Tea's heart melt. She finally figured out she only like Yugi as a friend. One side of her even wished she could love Yugi instead. At least Yugi isn't totally unreasonable.  
  
Tea groaned as she finally fell asleep. She thought 'Damn him, why does he have to show up in my dreams too?'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
In school:  
  
"Hey everyone!" Yugi came in with an enthusiastic smile.  
  
"Yugi, you're back." Tea went up to him and hugged him, giving him a friendly welcome back.  
  
Seto sat on the other side of the classroom, giving them a jealous glare. Luckily for them, no one noticed, because he glares too often. Wait, let me rephrase that, no one noticed but Allison.  
  
She gave him a mocking smirk. "I told you she was only after your money. Do you feel cold and abandoned now? Do you? Do you? Don't worry, you could always snuggle in MY arms."  
  
Seto sighed. "And I was telling Mokuba what a great sister he has. His sister is so mighty she'll finds the absolute perfect times to annoy him when she knows he won't be in a mood to annoy her back. Can he get a BETTER sister than this? God bless him. " Seto said with sarcasm.  
  
'He needs more help than I thought.' Allison thought to herself seeing how hurt her brother really is.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The next few days were awful. Mai is giving Joey the silent treatment. Joey is ignoring Mai. Yugi soon acted like her forgot Serenity, and forgot the emptiness deep down. Tea and Seto both think the other doesn't like them back, so they never had any more chats like the one in the park.  
  
Allison, being the observant person she is, decided to move out of the city, and give these losers some time to themselves.  
  
When she told Kaiba the news, he didn't even bother to persuade her to stay. As a matter of fact, he started making her read brochures to go to the farthest place away from him possible. Afterwards, he sent her off on the first plane out of Domino City.  
  
Mokuba on the other hand, wanted so much to get to know his long lost sister better. Allison knew that with Mokuba gone, there's a better chance of Seto hooking up with Tea, so she took him along.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Mai ran up to her locker to pack up for home after a whole day of pretending the guy she loves doesn't exist. It's not as easy as it sounds.  
  
Inside her locker, she found a piece of notebook paper on top of the books. It read:  
  
Dear Mai,  
  
I'm sorry about the sandstorm incident. But it was YOUR fault for following me! If that's why angry and the reason you've been ignoring me these days, then GOD SAVE YOU! What should you be angry about? I saved your life, woman! You would've died like a blind snake slithering through the storm! I remind you, YOU FOLLOWED ME! So it's not all my fault!  
  
Truly,  
  
Joey  
  
P.S. Don't think I'm going to start being nice to you, because I'm still very very angry! (A/N: As you can see from the way he wrote the letter.)  
  
P.P.S. Meet me at the school at 7:00 pm.  
  
Mai read it over and over even though the only pleasant words on there was the first sentence and the last sentence.  
  
She snorted. "I'm going to meet him in my personal precious time after this!? He wish." She ripped the note up and went home.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Mai ended up going anyway. But give her a little credit, if she 'could've' controlled herself to stay at home, she sure would've. She tried her best not to show up. She did everything from trying to get her mind off of him by reading a good book to tying herself down to her bed like a crazy alcoholic trying to stop doing drugs.  
  
"So you decided to show up after all." Joey smiled.  
  
She turned away. "Only because I'd like to criticize on how poorly your note was written. If you really want to apologize, you should've just sent a present, like flowers or something."  
  
Joey nodded. "Then you would say I'm not original with apologizing ideas. Almost everyone use them to send an apology, that's why those freakin flower shops came in business. Besides, what good would flowers do? The longest they could live up to is a month. I want you to remember my apology forever."  
  
Mai rolled her eyes. "What are you going to do? Dress up in a dog costume, and beg for my forgiveness on your knees?"  
  
Joey said nothing, but leaned forward and gave Mai a kiss. If she can't even control herself to not come, do you think she could resist from kissing back?  
  
Joey broke apart. "That. Is going to last much longer than flowers in your memory." He grinned in victory licking his lips.  
  
Mai's head is still in daze. She hated the way Joey affected her like this. "I still say flowers are better. You call this an apology? You stole that kiss from me! You creep! Ugh! I'm going home to rinse my mouth!" She ran off before saying something stupid and pathetic like begging him to kiss her again.  
  
Joey stared up at the amethyst sky. The crescent moon laughed at him in pity. What did he just do? He knew Mai never liked him. Did he have to kiss her just then? Great. Just splendid. Now she'll hate him even more.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Hi Yugi." Serenity greeted.  
  
"Hi Serenity."  
  
"Did Joey tell you he kissed Mai yesterday?" Serenity loves to gossip.  
  
"What? He did?"  
  
"Yeah, but Mai ran off. I guess I won't be getting a sister in law very soon." Serenity sighed, but then grinned evilly.  
  
Yugi, being the smart good boy he is, realized what was Serenity trying to do. "No Serenity. I don't want to get in other people's businesses. Besides, Mai would hate me more than she hates Joey if I helped you get them together."  
  
"But Yugi, they are the perfect pair. Besides, Mai doesn't hate Joey. Come on please help me. He's your best friend! You gotta grant him the wish of happiness." Serenity persuaded.  
  
"I'm not a magical genie; I don't grant wishes." 'If I was, I could've handled my own problem instead of hiding in Egypt.' "I have faith in Joey. He'll take care of himself."  
  
Serenity huffed and puffed. Why wouldn't Yugi just help her out? "Fine, I'll go ask Tristan."  
  
"Don't! He'll only ruin things by making fun of Joey falling for Mai, and Joey will get in a great big fight with him again. I'll help you. I'll help you!"  
  
"I knew you'd see it my way. Okay, here's the plan, you have to............." Serenity whispered how to get them together.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Yuge, where you takin me?" Joey asked as Yugi pulled him to go see Mai.  
  
'Joey, just be grateful it isn't Tristan dragging you right now. I sacrificed myself to do this even if I don't want to just because of your love life isn't running smoothly. But, I guess I do owe you one for coming to Egypt to get me.'  
  
Yugi led him all the way to a carnival in town. Of course, Serenity was there already with Mai.  
  
"Oh, what a coincidence. I didn't expect to see you two here." Serenity lied. It was all her idea.  
  
Mai suspects that Yugi and Serenity planned this date, but didn't accuse. Joey thought it really was a coincidence, so he said nothing either until.......  
  
"Hey! Cotton Candy!"  
  
Serenity's plan didn't exactly work very well. She made Joey and Mai go on some of the scariest rides ever together, and expected them to be so frightened they would hug each other and eventually get all mushy and everything, but little did she know, Mai was braver than she thought, and all that Haunted House baloney and roller coasters didn't even make her blink. Joey on the other hand will only be scared if the place ran out of food.  
  
Yugi couldn't help but laugh at Serenity's miserable expression when the plan didn't work.  
  
That did it. Serenity was sick of them taking so long getting together. Time for plan B. She pushed them both on a seat on the Ferris wheel, and made the person in charge of the big machine stop it just when their seat got on the top.  
  
"Now TALK!" She ordered.  
  
"Let us down, sis!"  
  
"No way!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
1 Hour Later:  
  
Everyone else surrounding them was complaining to get on or get off the Ferris wheel, but Joey and Mai still haven't spoken to each other yet.  
  
Serenity finally gave up, and allowed them to get off. Yugi cracked up so hard tears fell down his cheeks. People thought he was crying because of sadness, and a pretty girl even offered to buy him a Popsicle to cheer him up.  
  
"Yugi, do you have a Plan C?" Serenity came up to his face taking away his popsicle.  
  
"Oh, finally you want my suggestions? When we discussed the plan, you didn't even let me talk, that I never told you that your ideas all SUCK!" Yugi went back to cracking up.  
  
"Then, what's your brilliant plan?" Serenity asked impatiently.  
  
"Beg me to tell you."  
  
"You know, I liked you so much better when you were a goody- good, and did just as you were told."  
  
Yugi decided to give her a break. He pointed to a sign. The sign read: Lagoon of Love, a boat ride for couples.  
  
Serenity lightened up, as she forced the reluctant lovers on the boat. "Yugi, why didn't you tell me about the boat ride sooner?"  
  
"Because you covered my mouth every time I tried to talk. The only thing I could do is laugh."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Soft music filled the air. The boat floated into a tunnel. Joey shut his eyes trying not to pay attention to the couples around them all making out. Mai swore she wants to throw up.  
  
"Alright, I get the point. You like me, so you made your little sister drag me here, and......."  
  
"I didn't. Yugi dragged me here. I had no idea they wanted to set up a date for us. Yugi's not the type to do that." Joey interrupted not wanting to admit he 'does' like her.  
  
"It's obvious he still has feelings for Serenity, and it was your sister's plan to do this in the first place." Mai heard a moan coming from behind them.  
  
Yugi and Serenity are sitting on a boat making out like the rest of the people in that tunnel.  
  
"Who. What. When. Where. Why. HOW?!?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Lanturn: I'm sorry for the awfully lame chapter. The only thing I could think of is making the couples kiss. Hopefully, next week I'll think of something better.  
  
Read and Review. 


	4. Seto and Serenity's pranks

Chapter 4: Kaiba and Serenity's tricks  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Splash  
  
Joey dived down the lagoon, swam over to Yugi and Serenity's boat, and kicked it over.  
  
"Sis, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING????!!!!!" He exploded screaming at Serenity who is all soaked now from head to toe.  
  
Yugi laughed. "I guess we were too caught up in the lovy dovy air."  
  
"We're not serious Joey, can't you just mind your own business?" Serenity added.  
  
Yugi's pure innocent expression saddened. He knew Serenity was just having a little fun, but he wished they could do that more often.  
  
Joey blinked. "Well, for a minute there I thought you were serious. Damn this lame carnival! What kind of ride is this? Lagoon of Love? It's just nasty 3 feet water flowing in a fake tunnel."  
  
Mai agreed. "Yeah, this place sucks, let's leave."  
  
"How did he know the water was 3 feet deep?" Stared Yugi and Serenity dumbfounded.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kaiba finally couldn't take not talking to Tea anymore. Since in own cold little heart, he thinks Tea already hates him, so what's the harm if he annoys her more with pranks and tricks? 'That'll cause some attention. At least it's better than being ignored.'  
  
Early in the morning when no one else is in the classroom, he laid a neatly wrapped present on her desk.  
  
When the students came in, they all crowded near Tea's desk to see what was in the present. Tea, being the curious little girl she is, opened the present in front of everyone. It was a beautiful miniature statue of the Blue Eyes White Dragon, with the mouth wide open, looking as if about to eat you.  
  
Tea glanced at Seto's direction. He was smiling at her. Seeing Seto smiling his all-so-handsome-yet-rare-smiles was the best gift a girl could ever receive. He mouthed the words "Press the button."  
  
She looked back at the statue. Sure enough, on its stomach was a button labeled. "Press Me." Tea would've never guessed that this is all just a prank, so she did, and...  
  
SSSSSSPPPPPPPLLLLLLLLAAAAAASSSSSSSHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Blue paint shot out of the dragon's mouth hitting Tea directly in the face. On cue, everybody in the classroom roared with laughter. Seto laughed the loudest of them all.  
  
Tea was about to cry. Never ever in her entire life has she been this embarrassed and ridiculed. And just when she had some hope of seeing herself with Seto, he ruined the perfect image with his NATURAL IMPOSSIBLE attitude!  
  
"I don't know why you all of a sudden decided to pull a stupid prank on me, but THIS MEANS WAR!!!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The following weeks was a nightmare:  
  
Tea held a protest saying Kaiba Corp must be taken down making everyone think Kaiba is up to no good again, and all those reporters crowded around him day and night giving him no privacy.  
  
Seto went out with every girl in the school to make Tea jealous. (A/N: He thought it was a failure, but it worked pretty well.)  
  
Tea kissed Yugi.  
  
Seto swore he loved Allison with all his heart. (A/N: Tea doesn't know she's his sister yet.)  
  
Tea bombed his science project.  
  
Seto accidentally fed her twenty-paged essay to the class pet.  
  
She killed the class pet.  
  
He bought more.  
  
She spread rumors that he was gay.  
  
He French kissed her in front of the entire class, proving her wrong.  
  
(A/N: This list could go on forever, but I'll just end it here.)  
  
Tea ran up to Seto that afternoon, and slapped him. "How disgusting could a person get? I liked you before, but now you are just the most stuck-up, conceited, irritating, inconsiderate, idiotic buffoon I've ever met."  
  
Seto couldn't believe his ears. Did Tea just admit she liked him? He mentally slapped himself. Why did he start the war when she used to like him? Now she REALLY hates him. That pissed him off. Badly.  
  
"Well, I liked you too, but now you're just a nasty, prissy, illiterate, foolish, giddy, BUTT-UGLY SLUT! Go to hell!"  
  
Tea tried to hold the tears back. "Since when am I a slut??!!!  
  
"You kissed Yugi."  
  
"You slept with every girl in the school!"  
  
"Did not!!"  
  
"Did too!!"  
  
"Damn you, woman!"  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"Why should I?"  
  
Deep down inside, they're both doing cartwheels, laughing like a maniac. What else would a human being do when their loved ones just told them they liked them?  
  
Kaiba suddenly grinned. "So you liked me? Go Seto! It's your birthday! Guess like Yugi's place in your heart isn't that hard to replace."  
  
Tea rolled her eyes and walked away.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Hey Yugi, wait up!" Shouted Serenity.  
  
Yugi slapped his forehead, moaning, "What is it this time?"  
  
"I've thought of a new way to get Mai and my brother together." She chirped excitedly.  
  
Just as she expected, Yugi started to run, but Serenity held his collar. "I need you to help me again."  
  
"No"  
  
"Please please please with a cherry on top!"  
  
"I don't like cherries."  
  
Serenity frowned. "I'll ask Tristan."  
  
Unlike that last time, Yugi replied. "Go ahead, he'll surely help you, his major weakness is beautiful girls."  
  
"I was just joking. The person I need now can be only you."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Joey HELP!" Serenity came running crying to her brother.  
  
"What's the matter Serenity?"  
  
"Yugi, he's been hit by a car! He's at the hospital right now, you got to see him!" Serenity faked some tears.  
  
"Then lets go."  
  
At the hospital:  
  
"Doctor, is he going to be alright?"  
  
"I'm afraid not. He has only 50% of recovering. The bus hit his head pretty hard, and if his brain stops functioning, he's dead." Said the doctor in a dead serious tone. (The 'doctor' is really just Pegasus in disguise. Serenity talked him into helping them.)  
  
"Alright, what happened sis?"  
  
Serenity covered her face really to say her dramatic line. "WAHHHHHH! It's entirely my fault!....... Yugi....(hiccup)......asked me on that date again, and I ...I told him to get a life......it's never going to happen, and then he.....(sob sob)...... ran onto the streets.....(sniff sniff)....... and a city bus hit him!!!!!!!"  
  
Joey took a look at Yugi, lying lifelessly on the bed, wrapped in enough bandages to make him look no different than a mummy.  
  
He gave Serenity a half ashamed, half I-don't-believe-you-look. He finally said something. "Sis, you owe Yuge too much. You better pray to god that he lives. If he does survive this time, I'm going to marry you off to him. You said it was your fault, so you should take responsibility for all this."  
  
"I will! I will! I promise! But Joey, please just get together with Mai! She's been crying for you the last couple of days, not able to eat or sleep! She loves you deeply, and if you keep on ignoring her like this, she'll think you hate her, and she'll probably end up just like Yugi!" Serenity exaggerated.  
  
'Mai. She loves me?' Joey wants to believe Serenity's words so badly. ' Maybe sis is right. So that's why she followed me to Egypt. But will she do the same as Yugi if I keep ignoring her?'  
  
(A/N: This part sounds stupid even as I brainstormed it in my head.)  
  
"I'll go talk with Mai." Joey walked out of the room, not knowing what he should believe or do.  
  
After he left, Yugi quickly unwrapped the bandages off his face and inhaled a big breath of air. "That. Was just the most dumbest stupidest thing I've ever done. You could've lied about all those things to Joey of Mai loving him without having me pretending to die!"  
  
"He needs to have a vision of a real live example in his head to haunt him, and make him confess sooner. Besides, you look kind of cute when you're mummified and angry."  
  
Yugi blushed. "Uhh, gee thanks?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Joey went to the beach, getting away from the noisy city. He lied down on the smooth soft sand, with his feet buried in the seawater. He needs some time alone to think.  
  
He never realized this before, but the more he thought about what Mai said and did to him during the past, the more it makes sense to prove she does love him.  
  
Although it seems so self-centered and disloyal to be thinking about Mai while Yugi is dying, but he couldn't stop himself to think about her. And maybe, just maybe, she does feel the same way towards him as he feels towards her.  
  
'What's wrong with me? When I thought Mai hated me, I was frustrated and annoyed. Now that I think she loves me, I'm still frustrated and annoyed. Can't my frustration please evaporate into thin air? Can't my annoyance go bother someone else?'  
  
While Joey was having a mind battle with himself, he slowly drifted to sleep.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Lanturn: Thank you for reading!  
  
Allison: Hey you! When am I coming back to the story? Being stuck in Antarctica with a eight year old isn't the best vacation you know.  
  
Lanturn: Be patient. Nobody misses you.  
  
Allison: I missed myself! I want to get back into the story and fight Tea for Seto's love and affection!  
  
Lanturn: Don't you even think of laying a finger on Seto, he's MINE!  
  
Allison: No MINE!!!!!  
  
Kaiba (pops in while the two are arguing): Read & Review! 


	5. Plan Backfired

Lanturn: Thanks to all who reviewed me!!!!!!!!!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter 5: Plan backfired  
  
Joey woke up. He is obviously not sleeping in his own room. This room had a nice jasmine scent to it, while his place just smelled like crap and pizza.  
  
"Hey balloon head, you finally decided to pop out of bed." Mai's sweet yet sarcastic voice called out to him.  
  
"What am I doing here?" He yawned.  
  
"You don't remember? It figures having such a puny-sized brain. You fell asleep on the sand yesterday afternoon. If it hadn't been for me, the rising tide would've drowned you, and there wouldn't be a stupid Chihuahua lying on my bed this very moment."  
  
Joey felt his blood boil as his vein popped. "Chihuahua? You know, drowning doesn't seem that bad compared being called that."  
  
Mai giggled in amusement. "That's the whole point of saving you."  
  
"Actually, the point is because YOU still owe ME, because I saved you in that sandstorm." A sudden devilish grin spread across his face. "Or maybe....... it's because you don't want me to die for your own selfish reasons. Admit it Mai, you have a crush on me!"  
  
She looked straight into his eyes. "Trying to start another fight?"  
  
He flinched. "I was only speaking the truth....."  
  
BAM. She already flung a pillow hitting his head quickly trying to run away.  
  
He ran after her, wrapped his arms around her before she could escape and threw her on her bed. "I may not be the fastest in the brain, but how dare you think you could beat me in tag?"  
  
"So you admit that you are not the smartest creature ever to walk the planet?"  
  
"The truth hurts, but what could I do? Besides, I'll settle for being the cutest Chihuahua to ever crawl into your arms." He snuggled in Mai's chest making them both blush redder than a tomato.  
  
"You know, sometimes I don't even know why we ignore each other and bicker that much. Isn't it tiring?" Mai said sincerely.  
  
"Because you're too stubborn to admit how perfect I am."  
  
"Okay fine. I admit you are perfect and I do have a crush on you, happy now?" Mai grinned maliciously.  
  
Joey stopped smiling and blinked. "What?" Reality stood right in front of his face, but he's not willing to believe it. Some things are just TOO good to be true.  
  
"So, when did you get so smart and figure all this out?" Mai asked  
  
"I didn't." Joey reddened from embarrassment. "You told Serenity and she told me."  
  
"I never tell her anything about my love life."  
  
"Then I guess she was just lying............ Wait a minute, if she was lying then the whole Yugi dying chaos was just an act......."  
  
"Do you want to fill me in on this?" Asked Mai without much excitement obviously didn't understand a word he just said.  
  
"Yesterday, Serenity said Yugi was hit by a bus because she refused to love him. She dragged me to the hospital, and indeed Yugi was wrapped in bandages looking like he is almost dying. Serenity then lied about you loving me, and if I don't get together with you soon, you'll end up just like Yugi. Now I understand, she made Yugi play dying just to scare me, and make me confess sooner."  
  
Mai nodded showing she understood. "But, there is one problem with your story. Let's pretend if my sister almost killed one of my friends, I wouldn't just let her off the hook that easily."  
  
"Well I did punish her! I told her to take care of Yugi until he recovers or dies. Hell, I was so angry at her that day that I even made her promise to MARRY Yugi if he recovers."  
  
Mai clapped her hands. "PERFECT! Now we can make her pay for messing with our lives!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
3 months later:  
  
"Serenity, how's my friend Yugi doing?" Joey said in a stern voice.  
  
Serenity smiled. "He's all back to normal!"  
  
Just then, Yugi came out of the hospital room accompanied by Mai. "Hi Joey! Thanks for caring to come down to the hospital again, good thing I finally recovered."  
  
Joey cleared his throat. "Very well, I believe now is the appropriate time to discuss something. Serenity, you made me a promise after Yugi was car crashed that if he lives, you marry him. Now, a promise is a promise, so as a good big brother, I now will announce that you two are 'engaged'."  
  
Serenity's face immediately paled. 'Shit I forgot all about that promise!' "Well um, Joey, we ummmm.... Help me out Yugi." She fiercely whispered to him.  
  
He covered his mouth silently laughing at another plan of hers that backfired. Then he whispered back "This is too damn funny to spoil."  
  
She glared at him. "Joey, we...I......"  
  
"Hey Serenity, not to worry, I know you'd want a big fancy wedding and Yugi's too poor to afford it for you. Don't worry about that, we could all pitch in and get you the most beautiful gown." Mai whispered to her ear jokingly.  
  
'Mai, the least of my worries is money right now.' Serenity mentally replied her.  
  
Joey laughed. "Great then, everything's settled! Let's make the wedding next month! I call best man!"  
  
"I call maid of honor!" Mai continued.  
  
"But....but......wait!" Too late, Joey and Mai already disappeared running off to spread the news.  
  
"Yugi, why didn't you say something?" She shouted.  
  
"Why should I? I WANT to marry you!" He took off too, still laughing.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
'Yugi's getting married to Serenity...' Tea thought as she walked to school the next morning.  
  
'I should feel happy for him. He found happiness in Serenity, but........why am I so jealous of her?'  
  
Tea felt rotten to the core. She already chose Seto Kaiba, the icy blue-eyed hunk who plays pranks on her, but she couldn't even imagine Seto loving and caring about her as much as Yugi cared about Serenity. Now, she's even having second thoughts on who she likes more.  
  
'But Yugi was never mine.'  
  
'Seto isn't either!'  
  
'Just think about Seto's hot appearance!'  
  
'What good is appearance going to do? He's just like a bird with fancy attractive feathers, but Yugi could fly and soar higher. Why? Because I trust Yugi and not that creep!'  
  
'But Seto admitted he loved you!'  
  
'Yugi and I have such a long history together.'  
  
Tea cleared her mind; she already lost Yugi, and she doesn't want to steal him away from Serenity when she knows perfectly well how much he loves her.  
  
She finally got to the school. No one was there except for Yugi.  
  
"Where is everybody?"  
  
"Oh, hi Tea, why are you in school today? Today's Saturday."  
  
"Oops! How could I forget? Silly me. But why are you here Yugi?"  
  
"Hiding. Mai is chasing me everywhere making me buy a ring, a tux, flowers, etc. I get so tired of this marriage thing."  
  
Tea is confused. "But didn't you want to marry her in the first place?"  
  
Yugi rolled his eyes. "I like Serenity, but I never wanted to marry her!"  
  
Yugi started telling her the whole story of how he got in this mess making Tea laugh as hard as he did.  
  
'Maybe there is hope for us after all.' "Hey Yugi, since we're both here, do you want to go to a movie or something? It's been a long time since we've been together after Serenity came here."  
  
"That's a great idea Tea! No one would ever find me in a movie theater, let's go."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After the movie, in a fancy restaurant:  
  
"Yugi, I've always wanted to ask you this question. How much do you love Serenity?"  
  
"I don't know." Yugi said sincerely. "Sometimes I even wonder what is so great about her that makes me so attracted. Maybe it's her beautiful face."  
  
"So a simple pretty face would let you like her. I'm guessing I am too ugly to accomplish that. But, I'm the one who really cares about your feelings, and all she does is use you to get Joey and Mai together. Yugi, why can't you open your eyes and see the truth? If you loved me as much as you love Serenity, I swear I will forever cherish that feeling." Tea blurted out everything at once.  
  
"Really Tea? You care about me?"  
  
She nodded, not knowing if she should.  
  
"..........."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Good night Tea." Yugi walked her back to her house.  
  
"I had fun today." Tea stared at the ground. "And if it makes you uncomfortable, please just forget what I said earlier. It just sort of came out. I didn't mean to confuse you in any way."  
  
He smiled. "It's okay, I'm just sorry I could do nothing to stop my love for Serenity. We would've made a very good couple."  
  
"Yes we would have." Tea gave Yugi a quick kiss on the cheeks and closed the door in his face.  
  
"I applaud to you Tea." An irritating voice called out to her coming from her couch as she was locking the door.  
  
'Oh no.'  
  
Tea didn't even have to turn around, look at the person, scream, ask what she is doing here, and shoo her out to figure out whom the annoying voice belonged to.  
  
"Long time no see Allison." She muttered.  
  
'OH NOOOOOOOOO!'  
  
"Oh yes, I'M BACK!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Lanturn:  
  
Question of the week: Who is my favorite character from Yugioh?  
  
To reviewers:  
  
Jon Wells: Okay Okay, I get the point! Yugi/Tea sucks. Serenity/Yugi Forever!  
  
Kair: This will be Seto/Tea in the end, but I don't like romance stories without conflicts, so it might take a while for them to get together.  
  
T: I agree that the story should have a villain, but then Allison would kill me.  
  
Aurora82: Thank you so much for reviewing Element Warriors. Not many people bother to read that because it was my first fanfic and it isn't really good.  
  
DaRkShAdOwS: Please don't make Yami kill me, I'm too afraid of death!  
  
May-star: Thanks for reviewing! I really like your pen name!  
  
Lili: Thank you for your support about the pairings!  
  
Black Magician Girl: Yes! I've succeeded in making Allison confusing! That's exactly how I meant to write her personality.  
  
Chris Bowman: I really don't like Yugi/Tea pairings, but I will write a lot of it as conflicts to the story. However, I warn you that they won't end up together in this story.  
  
Bana the Random: Thankie!  
  
DaBlueGoo: As you wanted, I've changed my story to Romance/Humor.  
  
BlackWings: Really? You liked the pranks? I will add more in the future.  
  
MysticalDreamer: Your review really made my day! I always wanted to be funny, and now finally someone thinks so!  
  
UltraViolet: THANK!!!!! YOU!!!!!!!! 


	6. A sister who know's what she's doing

READ THIS FLAMERS: If you want to flame me, JUST DO IT. I really don't care, and you might help me to improve on my writings.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter 6: A sister who knows what she's doing  
  
"How'd you get in my house?" Tea just had to ask.  
  
Allison grinned and pulled a long hairpin out of her hair. " Your lock was so easy to pick that I didn't even have to take your extra key under the big "welcome" mat outside."  
  
Tea tried not to act rude. She smiled pleasantly "So, how was your vacation? And why are you 'back'?"  
  
"My vacation was a drag, and I'm back to wipe that smirk off your face." Allison walked into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and drank all the milk straight out of the carton. Tea rolled her eyes.  
  
"Sooooo, what happened with Seto darling and you while I was away?" She burped rudely.  
  
"If you want to know if we're going out, just ask. Don't insinuate or give lousy hints. You'll be happy to know I have just declared war on him, and now we are enemies in school." Tea said in a tone that sounds like it's no big deal to her. 'Bring it on, Allison, I'm ready for your snooping in my personal life.'  
  
Allison smiled. "Oh really, you really expect me to believe you're now enemies with Seto? I think you're just lying so you can avoid telling me the truth."  
  
Tea smiled a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Then you can go ask your precious 'Seto darling." She pointed to the door signaling for Allison to leave.  
  
Allison glared at the girl not believing she had to spend almost a month away in Antarctica, and Tea and Seto did NOTHING when she was away. Hell, they even became enemies, how'd that happen? She huffed and puffed, kicked open Tea's fridge again, seized a gigantic watermelon slice, and started wolfing it down.  
  
Tea just wanted to punch the redhead, but she didn't. She went to the refrigerator too, took out a dozen apples, put them in a bag, and placed the bag in front of Allison. "Here, you can have all these apples if you leave my house this instant!"  
  
Her greedy sister-in-law-soon-to-be stared at the bag like it was some sort of buried treasure holding all the riches to the world. She immediately spit out all the watermelon seeds stored in her mouth on Tea's face, grabbed the bag, and stormed out of the house before Tea could change her mind.  
  
Tea groaned. "Where are her manners? Eww, she got watermelon seeds in my hair too." She started to rake her hair with her fingers. 'Prepare for hell.' She thought to herself seeing Allison's now back.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Okay, let me get this right, you mean to tell me I was freezing my butt off in cold cold PenguinLand, and the first news I hear when I come back is you and Tea are now ENEMIES!!!????" Allison looked like she was about to wrestle her stupid brother.  
  
"Chill. Geeze. If looks could kill, I'd be long dead by now." Seto was doing some work on the computer, trying to ignore Allison's insults and whiny complaints.  
  
"I bet you $1,000,000 that even Mokuba will find a girlfriend before you!"  
  
Seto sighed, continuing his work.  
  
Allison got tired, and pushed him off his chair. She began tying on Seto's computer:  
  
*YOU LOVE TEA YOU LOVE TEA ADMIT IT ADMIT IT YOU DUMMY !!!!!!!!!!! *  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
An elegant smell of roses filled the air. She could hear everyone applauding and congratulating Yugi. The wedding march music began.  
  
Rebecca (You know, that girl who dueled Yugi for the Blue Eyes) is walking down the aisle scattering pink flower petals.  
  
Mokuba held a box holding two golden rings.  
  
Tristan dressed up like a priest person, reading a book called " Marrying off people for dummies."  
  
Joey was best man, and Mai was Maid of Honor.  
  
Tea is silently crying to herself either because she's happy her friend is getting married or because now she can't have Yugi anymore.  
  
Seto sat in the audience, looking quite bored.  
  
Before she knew what she was doing, Serenity, accompanied by her father, walked up to Yugi dressed in a fabulous wedding gown.  
  
Tristan began his long speech. "We are all gathered here today ...................... Blah blah ................. yeah yeah whatever...................... and now will you Yugi, take Serenity in stinky rich or destitute poor as your lawfully wedded wife?"  
  
Yugi smiled sheepishly. " I do."  
  
"And do you Serenity take Yugi as your lawfully wedded husband in rich or poor until one of you dies?"  
  
Serenity giggled at Yugi's cute expression, eyes locking on hers, giving her the puppy face. "I do ............... I mean WHAT!!!!!????????????"  
  
Serenity sat up on her bed, sweating. 'Thank god that was just a dream. In real life I would've never said 'I do'. But I wonder what will my life be like if I did........'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Beep beep beep beep. Beep beep beep beep.  
  
Tea reluctantly got up, got dressed, brushed her teeth, and walked to school.  
  
Just as she expected, Kaiba and Allison were already there acting all lovy dovy, flirting with each other. Tea glanced at her watch. Only nine more hours until school ends...........but then, nine hours is the entire day.  
  
'I will not get jealous, I will not get jealous.' She tried to convince herself; it didn't work even a little. So she practiced saying it out loud. "I love Yugi, I love Yugi."  
  
"Okay okay, stop saying that, you're making me blush." She forgot Yugi sat right next to her in the class.  
  
"Hi Yugi, did you reconsider about what I said yesterday?"  
  
"Yeah, I thought about it, and you were very right. Serenity doesn't even want me, the only choice I have is to forget about her." Yugi said painfully.  
  
"Aww, Yugi." Tea gave him a friendly hug. "You'll be all right."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Chill, geeze, if looks could kill, I'd be long dead by now." Allison grinned quoting Kaiba's words, as he glared at Tea, who just hugged Yugi.  
  
"Sis, tell me, what's so good about that half teen half pharaoh?" He hissed.  
  
"He doesn't make a enemy with the girl he likes." Allison snorted.  
  
"But she started the war!" Seto protested.  
  
"Your point? She's a girl, girls do whatever they want!"  
  
He rolled his eyes. "That must explain why you're so rotten spoiled."  
  
Allison got to the point. "Do you need my help on winning her back?"  
  
"I don't know, but last time I checked, pigs weren't flying around yet." Seto said sarcastically.  
  
"Wanna bet you're going to ask for my help sooner or later when realized you will loose her? But by then, it'll be too late anyway."  
  
"I'll never ask for your help." Kaiba muttered as he approached Tea.  
  
"What do you want?" Tea looked annoyed, still not forgiving him for flirting with Allison.  
  
"Tomorrow, five o'clock, the snowy mountain, be there!" Seto ordered.  
  
'Huh? Did Kaiba just ask me out on a date?' Tea's slow little mind wondered.  
  
Seto sat back down next to Allison. "See, I got a date, WITHOUT your help." He smirked.  
  
Allison evilly smirked to herself. 'Big brother's got a date huh? This will be interesting to ruin and spoil. Muhahahahah.'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The next day, 5:00 sharp, Snowy Mountain:  
  
"Kaiba, why on Earth did you want me here? I can't snowboard or ski!" Tea complained as they rode up to the highest peak.  
  
"Well too bad! You'll have to learn!"  
  
"Why can't you ever act nice for a change?" Tea crossed her arms looking away. "Oh no, it's starting to snow!"  
  
Seto snorted. "What do you expect, it snows almost every day here. Alright, we're here." He handed Tea a pair of skis.  
  
Tea looked down from the spot she's at. "Oh my god this is steep! I wanna go back! I'll die if I jump down from here." She screamed.  
  
"Then DIE!" Said a voice that sounded like nails scratching on a chalkboard. Before Tea knew it, Allison had just pushed her off the cliff, sending her screaming/sliding down in a straight line.  
  
"How'd 'you' get here?" Said Seto shocked at what Allison just did.  
  
"Why are 'you' STILL here? Tea might crash, aren't you gonna chase her, and save her?"  
  
"I swear that when I get back, I'm throwing you back into the mental institute you where crawled out from." Kaiba went after Tea.  
  
Finally he spotted her. She apparently crashed into a tree halfway, not able to get up anymore.  
  
"Tea. Are you alright?" Seto threw off his skis, and kneeled in front of the girl.  
  
"Seto, I think....... I think I'd broken a bone in my leg............ I can't get stand." She said weakly.  
  
"I'm so sorry. I had no idea Allison was here. If I knew she was going to push you down, I swear I would've never forced you to come here." Seto started to panic inside. He was so weak; that he can't even protect the one person he truly loves.  
  
Seeing Seto like this made Tea warm and happy once again. "Did you know this is the first time you've ever apologized to me? It's not you're fault, don't blame this on yourself." Tea reached out an icy hand to touch his face, wanting to take the sadness away from it.  
  
"I'll make this up to you. I promise, but in the meantime, let's get out of this mess." Seto got Tea on his back, and started to slowly walk down the hill.  
  
One hour later:  
  
"Kaiba, this snow is turning into a blizzard! Can we make it down this mount in before dark?" Tea asked getting a bit worried.  
  
"I don't know. We both left our skis next to that tree you crashed to, and it's very hard to walk down without them." Seto's teeth started chattering.  
  
"Hey look! There's a log cabin straight up ahead!" Tea suddenly pointed.  
  
"I've been there before. It hasn't been used in a long time, and there's no fireplace in the cabin, so it feels just as cold in there as out here."  
  
"Well at least there's a roof! Let's go in, and you can at least rest a while. I'm pretty heavy, ya know." Tea argued.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kaiba placed Tea on the wooden floor, and lied down himself, resting his back.  
  
Tea looked around. The cabin had almost everything except for a fireplace. What were the people thinking building the place without one? But, hey! Right on top of one of the shelves was a rusty old candle! And right next to the candle was some old matches!  
  
She leaned over to Kaiba. "Kaiba. Don't sleep. Look! There's a candle on that tall bookshelf."  
  
No response.  
  
"Kaiba wake up! If you sleep now, you'll freeze. Come on, please wake up, and light that candle for us. I still can't walk." Tea started to shake his body, but Seto was sound asleep. Not even thunder can wake him up.  
  
Tea hesitated. She slowly wrapped her arm around Seto, tangled her legs with his, and placed her head on his chest. That way, at least they'll have a little warmth with their body heat combined together.  
  
'I am sooooooooooooo not going to forgive Allison for this.'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Allison: Muahahahahahahah! Tea's going to die! Seto will be mine I tell you, ALL MINE!  
  
Lanturn: What if Seto dies too?  
  
Allison: Then, KaibaCorp will be mine, ALL MINE!  
  
Lanturn: I was WRONG! You 'aren't' a normal human being!  
  
Allison: Why thank you. You're so kind, Lanti.  
  
Lanturn (shoos Allison away): Well anyway, if any one of you wonders what Allison looks like, you can review and leave me your e-mail address, and I'll be happy to send you a picture of her.  
  
Allison: NOOOOOOO! Then, everyone will know what I look like, and they can hunt me down and kill me!  
  
Lanturn: Serves you right for trying to seek revenge Tea.  
  
Allison: But you were the one who 'wrote' it.  
  
Lanturn: But you were the one who 'did' it.  
  
Allison: But you were the one who..............  
  
Lanturn (covers Allison's mouth, and shouts out to readers): Remember to review! 


	7. The Departure of Serenity

Chapter 7: The Departure of Serenity  
  
Seto woke up with a shuddering Tea hugging him tightly. He immediately spotted that old candle too, but he's not going to take any chances and wake up Tea, so he went right back to sleep.  
  
When the next morning came, surprisingly the two lovebirds didn't freeze to death yet. The blizzard stopped. Tea climbed on Seto's back once again, and they walked down the rest of the mountain with him carrying her.  
  
"Kaiba." Tea suddenly said as they rode his fancy limousine home, "Let's not be enemies anymore. I mean, at first I've always thought you were just a cold jerk, but after knowing you would risk your own life to save me after Allison pushed me down the cliff, I think I can trust you now."  
  
Kaiba didn't reply. Tea got bored and rolled the limousine's window down to feel the wind blowing on her face. That's when Kaiba finally said something. "I saved you because I love you." There. He finally said it. He finally said what he wanted to say since the first day he met her.  
  
"Huh?" Obviously, Tea didn't hear him because of the loud wind blowing, passing by. "Can you repeat that?"  
  
Seto frowned. "Don't you have ears? Did you know how hard it was for me to admit that?"  
  
"Admit what? I honestly didn't hear you."  
  
Seto rolled his eyes, and instead of repeating his awkward words, he simply grabbed Tea's thin wrist, pulled her to him, and kissed her roughly. "Understand now?" He finally broke the kiss.  
  
Instead of being happy, Tea did the exact opposite of what Seto wants her to. A single tear fell down her cheeks. "Why Kaiba? Why? Why do you make me so confused? I've already chosen Yugi, but you....... I'm not so sure now anymore. Why did you pick the worst of all times to admit you love me? Couldn't you do what you just did and saved me from the blizzard a couple of months ago? Why did you have to wait and keep all your feelings to yourself until it was too late?" She burst into tears.  
  
"It is 'because' I know now that you like Yugi too, so I have to win you back before 'you're' the one Joey betroths to Yugi."  
  
Tea gave out a cold laugh. "And are you just going to smash my heart into one thousand pieces after you've won me back? Maybe you only want me right now because you're Yugi's rival, and you only want to beat him in love, because you'll never beat him in duel monsters............."  
  
Tea was cut off once again with Seto's demanding lips. She got him so angry saying Yugi is better than him that he doesn't even care now if he hurt Tea while kissing her like an animal. Tea was lost into his deep kisses that she was finally able to forgive his coldness, able to admit to herself that Seto Kaiba likes her more than Allison, she finally can trust Kaiba, and realized he is the only one for her.  
  
'Poor Yugi.'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Serenity felt like hell. How is she ever only to get out of this stupid marriage with Yugi?  
  
"Knock Knock." Allison came into her house.  
  
"Next time say that 'before' you barge in." Serenity smiled sweetly at her dear friend.  
  
"You out of all people should've gotten used to it by now." Allison threw herself down at Serenity's couch. "Soooooo, I've heard that you are getting married to the all so famous Yugi Moto, congratulations!"  
  
"Oh Allie, it's horrible. I know I'm a terrible person, but I just don't love him. I don't want to marry him!" Serenity wailed.  
  
Allison frowned. "I don't want you to marry him either. That kid is such a goodie good, he's too short, and his head is practically filled with only duel monsters!"  
  
"Hey! Don't act so mean!"  
  
"Hmp, and you say you don't love him. See how fast you came up and defended him after I criticized him?" Allison grinned.  
  
"Allie, I'm really not in the mood for your mind tricks. I need you to help me." Serenity sighed.  
  
"Okay okay, I'll help you escape this wedding if you really want to, but I know you'll regret it." Allison said.  
  
"Can you really help me get out of all this mess?"  
  
"Of course, all I have to do is make my brother's slaves get you a train ticket out of Domino City, and you'll never see Yugi again." Allison said in a tone like it was no big deal.  
  
"That won't work. My brother is in Domino City. I can't just leave him here all alone."  
  
"Joey is NOT alone. He has Mai. Plus, you'll just have to leave this city for a short period of time. During the months you are away, I'll make Yugi fall in love with someone else, and he'll call the wedding off. Then, you can come back."  
  
"Do you think this will really work?" Serenity asked with hope.  
  
"Have you not learned anything after all these years of being friends with me? Anything is possible once you have me on your side." Allison grinned. "But, before I arrange all this for you, you have to do something for me."  
  
"What do you want me to do?"  
  
"Go out with Yugi just one time before you leave this city."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Allison pretended to think. "If I remember correctly, in the past, you have broken his heart, made him flee to Egypt in depression, kissed him in that carnival but said it was no big deal, made him feel as big as an ant, ran him over a truck, pretended to feel sorry for him, used Yugi as a tool to get Joey and Mai together, and .........."  
  
"I get it. I get it. I know I owe Yugi big. I'll go on that date that he wanted ever since I came here as an apology."  
  
"Fine. You spend the entire day today with Yugi, and I'll get you on the first train that leaves Domino City tonight." Allison turned on the television.  
  
"Deal." Serenity grabbed her coat to meet Yugi, leaving a childish Allison to watch a show where Pegasus is boxing with the overgrown Toon Rabbit all by herself.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"WHAT? You want to go out with ME?" 'Am I dreaming?'  
  
"Don't you want to?" Serenity chuckled.  
  
"Not unless you tell me who was the one who blackmailed you to do this."  
  
"It was more like a bribe." Serenity winked at Yugi. "Come on, I want to go to Kaiba Land."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Look Yugi! What a cool statue of the Legendary Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon! Did it look like this when you battled with Kaiba?"  
  
"Yup, this is exactly what Kaiba's Blue Eyes looked like."  
  
"Yugi, who do you think is the better duelist, you or Kaiba?" Serenity grabbed his hand to go to the battle arena.  
  
"Well, it's hard to say. Kaiba could've been a much better duelist if he believed more in the heart of the cards. I mean, with a powerful beast like the Blue Eyes White Dragon in his deck, and trust towards his monsters, how could he lose?"  
  
Yugi stopped talking when he saw Weevil and Rex Raptor dueling, tied each with a thousand life points left.  
  
"Eww." Serenity cried while squeezing Yugi. Weevil just drew out another nasty bug.  
  
"Let's not watch this. I'll get you something to eat." Yugi was pretty aware that Serenity was afraid of bugs.  
  
They walked to a hot dog stand, and each ordered a nice hot dog.  
  
Yugi chuckled as he watched Serenity gobbling down her hot dog.  
  
"What?" Serenity wasn't used to people laughing at her eating style. (The same style as Allison's)  
  
For the fun of it, Yugi swirled his finger inside the ketchup can. "You got something on your face." He ran his finger down her nose leaving all the ketchup there.  
  
Serenity glared as people walking by laughed at her red nose. "Oh yeah? Well you got something on your face too." She seized the mustard container and squirted the yellow substance all over Yugi.  
  
Yugi sensed trouble. He ran as fast as he can with Serenity following him with the huge mustard and ketchup cans, squirting him whenever possible making Kaiba Land looking like a zoo with yellow and red marks all over the place.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Today is one of the best days of my life. I haven't had so much fun since Joey and I separated." Serenity and Yugi walked back home, both covered with ketchup and mustard.  
  
"Yeah. Today was so much more fun than any other day will ever be."  
  
"Yugi, I have something I must tell you." Serenity began.  
  
Yugi hushed her. "I know already. You are going away tonight to escape from our wedding."  
  
Serenity was shocked. "Did Allison tell you everything?"  
  
Yugi shook his head. "No, I figured it out myself. If you weren't planning on running away, you wouldn't have asked me on a date as an apology."  
  
"Well, I just felt that I owed you big, so I want to try to make it up to you as much as I can before I leave."  
  
Yugi sighed. "Joey really shouldn't have arranged that marriage. But I guess if you leave now, it'll be the best for everyone. Joey will soon realize that you don't love me and give up on the wedding."  
  
"Can you at least walk me to the train station?" Serenity asked.  
  
"Sure thing Serenity."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Say good-bye to the gang for me!" Serenity waved from the window of her train.  
  
Yugi waved back on the sidewalk right next to the railroad as the train started to move. Serenity's face started to move further and further away from him.  
  
Without thinking, Yugi began to chase the train hoping to never lose that sight of Serenity smiling at him. Of course, he could never catch up to the train's moving speed. The gap between Yugi and Serenity began to grow and grow. Finally, Yugi stopped following the train resting to catch his breath.  
  
"Don't worry, Serenity will come back." Allison's shadow loomed on the concrete floor.  
  
"It was your plan to send Serenity away, right?" Yugi said without turning around.  
  
"Such a smart boy." Allison patted Yugi's head.  
  
Unexpectedly, a smirk crawled up Yugi's lips. "Good going. It was very clever of you to do that."  
  
Allison was surprised that Yugi would act like this. "Aren't you angry at me? Don't you just feel like killing me right now for separating you two?"  
  
"Tsk. Don't insult my intelligence. I'm not as dense as your brother. I know this is just a plan to get Serenity and me together."  
  
"I do admit, you are much smarter than Seto. Do you know how much energy I've spent to get him and Tea together? He still didn't figure out I'm doing all this for his good. He makes me look like the villain in this story." Allison rolled her eyes.  
  
"Hmm, maybe your ways of setting people together is too......... I don't know.......wicked?" Yugi laughed out loud.  
  
"I know, but I have to do things this way. Other ways of hooking people up doesn't ever work. It's been proven over and over in history."  
  
"You really are an interesting person, Allison."  
  
"Of course, that too has been proven over and over in history."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Lanturn: ARG!! I can't take this story any longer! I keep on getting writer's block every time I try to update it! If someone gets a good idea on what I should do next, PLEASE TELL me! I need HELP! Thank you!  
  
Review! 


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